Overseas travel restriction for HIV positive individuals

Answered by: Dr LM Nath | Consultant, Community Medicine,New Delhi

Q:Are people who have been detected to be suffering from AIDS or tested positive for HIV allowed to travel freely from one country to another i.e. are they granted visas in the normal manner or do they have to go through different visa procedures

A:Whether or not a HIV positive person (or someone suffering from AIDS) can travel to a country depends upon the country. Both the USA and Spain, for example, do not grant visas to HIV positive person. Other countries such as Holland do not discriminate on the basis of a persons HIV status. Not many countries require a mandatory test so in these cases they go by the declaration. It is best to find out the specific rules depending upon the country concerned.